Closing machine



Feb. 27, 1945.

S. S. JACOBS CLOSINGMACHINE Filed Jan. l5, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

A TTOENEYS Feb. 27, 1945. 5 s JACQBS ,2,370,169

CLOSING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTOENEYS Feb, 27, 1945. s. s. JACOBS CLOSING MACHINE Filed Jan. l5, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Wj

A TTOENEYS Patented F eb. 27, 1945 UNITED STATES PATE-NT FF'CE om I poration of New Jersey Applietion January 15, 1942,-v Serial No.l 426,909

(el. 113-24) l in connection with the acen'ipanying drawings,

6 Claims.

The present invention relates' to a closing machine for sealing containers or cans and hasv particular reference toy fluid actuated devices for shifting a can to be closed intoA sealing position and for maintaining a predetermined pressurev on the can during the sealing operation.

In the canning of` certain` products',- such as Whole hams and the like, it has beerrioun'df desirable to provide cans off Various heights so that hams of different Weights may be packedv into cans of the same diameter'or other cross section. Y The use of cans of dilferent heights makes it difficult to seal covers onto them in'- the saine closing machinev sinceA the usual closingmachine is made with a can lifter mechanismV having a xed stroke.

The instant vinvention contemplates overcoming this difficulty' by providingl a'closirlgmachin-e` in which'the lifter' mechanism is actuated byJ uid pressure so that the stroke of the can' lifter will be flexiblev enough to take care ofr can height variations'.

An object, therefore; of thek invention' is the provision of a can closing or sealing machine` wherein the can lifter mechanism isA operated by 'fluid pressure' to compensate for can height varia;

tions and to maintain a uniform lift pressure on the can dll/ring the Sealing operation, irrespective of the travel required" to bring the can into seaming position, i. e., irrespective' of the can height. y I

Another object is the provision of s uch a lifter mechanismfol" a can closing machineY wherein" a lcan' of any' height within the range of the Iria-u chine may be lifted upto the/chuck of the closeA ing head Without any adjustmentl by the' operator'V thereby saving" time for closing the cans and' increasing production. A

Another objectl is the provision `of a liftel" mechanism' of this character wherein the pres-f sure applied to the can during sealing' may be set and maintained at a predetermiedjpres; surewhich in no way is affected bythe height of the can.

Another object isthe provision of such'a lifter' mechanisni whereinl the pressure is' maintained on the can but asligli-t lifting action isW continued at a reduced rate of speed during thefsealingoperation so thatr a true spinning action is obtained during the'jn-terfolding of Ylanges on the can parts` as required ina double seam;

Numerousother objects andadvantages of the inventiony will be apparent asy it is better under# stood-'from thefollowing description; which, taken American Can Company, New York', N. Y., a cordiscloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawil-'lgslz'v` Figure 1 is a vertical section takeir through a can closing machine embdyingthe instant in-Y vention;

IFigs.A 3', 4 andI 5 are fragmentary enlarged sectional views of acl'litcli mechanism usedl in vthe machine,v the views b'eirigtaken' substantially along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2v and showing the moving parts of the'A mechanism in different positions;

lig".l 6 is a fragmentary sectional detail taken-v subs'tantially alng the line 6-6 in Fig.v 4j and Figs. '7 and 8 are fragmentary enlargediseetional views of fluid pressure devicesv used inthe machine, the views@ being' taken substantially along the linie 7-#1 in Fig. 2A and showngl the moving parts ofthe devices in different posi'- tions.v y

A-s' a-preferred" embodiment of the instant invent-ion the drawings illustrate principal parts l ofv a can closing machine of the character disclosed inl United States Patel'ltl 21'13,591, issl'ld April 12',y 193s, te s.fs-iv Jacobs. ni suena machine a can A (Fig. 1) having a cover B loosely applied thereto, is manually placed on a vertieally Inovable lifter pad 2| andi the latter is actuated t raisethe can andcover into Aa; rotatable closingu or sealing head `212,` for sealing the cv'er onto: the can.

In the instant machine the closi'n'gl head 22 is a usual can closing head having seariiing rollersl 23'. Thev head is mounted directly above the lifter pad 2| on a sleevel 25 `journ'aled av bearing 26" formed in a gear casingfZ'l carried on topA of al frame 28 Wheh Constitu'tes' the; niainframe Cifr themachine. A y

The closing headA 22r is eontinlously' rotated by'r a pair of differential gears auf, el-munted rejspectively on thehead' sleeve 25 and oir'a spindle 32 carried Within the" sleeve and joilrn'aledl above in a bearing y33 'ofthe'ca's'ing'h Thegears mesh with and aredr'i'venb'y apair of cooperating gears 34, 35 which are mounted' 0n"r a Short differential shaftA 36 journaled in a pair off'spac'ed bearings" s1 formeelln the gear casing 2'1. The' shaft 36 also carries agrooved pulley 38v which is driven by a belt 39 which takes over and is driven bh'yvai grooved pulley 4I' mounted on? a rotor shaft 4Z of vaA continuously operating electric motorl B3.v

'ZIhe motor is or may be bolted to the gear casing When a can A and its superimposed cover B are placed upon the lifter pad 2| for closing, the lifter is actuated through a one revolution clutch device which sets the lifter mechanism in motion for one complete can closing cycle. The clutch device includes a constantly rotating clutch gear 41 (Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) which is mounted on a clutch shaft 48 journaled in a pair of spaced bearings 49 formed in the gear casing 21. The gear meshes with and is driven by gear teeth 5| formed on the differential gear shaft 36.

The clutch gear 41 is formed with a hub 54 which surrounds a cam hub 55 of a normally stationary lifter operating cam f 50 loosely mounted on the clutch shaft 48. The interior face of the clutch hub is formed with a notch 58 (see Fig. 6) which is engageable by a clutch flapper 59 mounted on a pivot pin 6| secured in the cam hub. The flapper is located in a recess 62 in the cam hub and is backed up by a spring barrel 63 disposed in a bore 64 in the cam hub. The spring barrel tends to push the iiapper outwardly toward the inner surface of the clutch hub.

The clutch flapper 59 normally is held out of engagement with the notch 58 in the clutch hub by a horizontal clutch lever 66 (Fig. 3). This lever is mounted on a pivot pin 61 having its ends secured in a pair of spaced lugs 68 which extend inwardly from a wall of the gear casing 21. The inner end o f the clutch lever is formed with a beveled cam surface 69 which in normal position engages against the outer surface of the apper 59 and thus holds it in place within its recess 62 against the resistance of the spring barrel 63.

The outer end of the clutch lever extends through an opening 1| in the gear casing. This end of the lever merges into a handle 12 which extends toward the front of the machine where it is readily accessible to the operatorplacing the cans to be closed into the machine. A compression spring 13 interposed between the bottom surface of the outer end of the clutch lever and the adjacent wall edge of the gear casing normally maintains the lever in a horizontal position.

By pressing down on the clutch handle 12 the inner end of the clutch lever is lifted out of vengagement with the apper 59, as best shown in Fig. 4, and this releases the apper so that it rides on the inner surface of the clutch hub 54 of the rotating gear 41. When the notch 58 in the hub comes adjacent the apper the latter snaps into it and thus connects the cam hub 55 the apper and when the latter comes adjacent and engages the cam surface 69 on the lever it is pushed out of the clutch notch 58. The cam hub immediately ceases rotation and the clutch lever remains in place to hold the flapper away from the clutch notch until the next actuation of the clutch handle 12.

with the clutch hub. The lifter cam 56 thus rotates through one revolution with the clutch gear 41 and it is during this one revolution that the lifter pad 2| is raised, the can A and cover B united, and the lifter returned to its normal position for removal of the sealed can. This is the can sealing cycle hereinbefore mentioned.

At the end of the can sealing cycle the clutch ilapper 59 is Withdrawn from the notch 58 in the 'clutch gear hub 54 to release the lifter cam 56 from the clutch gear and thus bring the cam to rest. This removal of the dapper is effected by a barrel cam 15 which is formed on the cam hub 55. This barrel cam engages the raised inner end of the clutch lever 66 near the end of the cam cycle and depresses the lever into its normal position, as best shown in Fig. 5.

In this position it is in the 'path of travel of The lifter pad 2|, which is actuated by the lifter cam 56, is secured to the upper end of a vertical plunger rod 8| (Fig. l) carried in a long bearing .82 of a cylinder 83. In the machine shown in the drawings the eiective stroke of the pad is approximately three inches and the range of cans which may be closed is from one to fifteen inches. Hence the cylinder is carried in a bearing 84 so that it may be vertically adjusted to bring the pad into an approximate position for the particular height of the cans being closed. After such an adjustment, the cylinder may be locked in position in any suitable manner, as by a locking screw 85 which is threaded into the machine frame 28. The inner end of the screw bears against'l the cylinder.

Within the cylinder 83, the lower end of the plunger rod 8| is formed with a plunger head 86 which constitutes a piston within the cylinder. The plunger head is backed up by a compression spring 81 disposed around the rod and interposed between the plunger head and the rod bearing 82. The spring forces down on the plunger head and thus normally holds the lifter pad 2| in its lowermost position.

The lifter pad 2| is raised under pressure of a fluid medium, preferably oil, which acts against the bottom surface of the plunger head 86. For this purpose the lower end of the cylinder 83 is tted with a cap 9| having a port hole 92 which leads from a pipe connection or tting 93 threaded into the cap. The pipe connection holds one end of a flexible tube 95 which extends up through the machine frame 28. The upper end of the tube projects through a wall of the frame and is connected to a valve plate 91 (see Figs. '1 and 8) of an oil reservoir 98 secured to a side of the gear casing 21. The tube leads from an outlet |0| in the valve plate and this outlet is in communication with a recess |02 in the plate.

The valve plate recess |02 constitutes part of a liquid pump which is built into the reservoir 98 below the level of the oil contained within the reservoir. The pump comprises a piston |05 which slides in a cylinder |06 formed in the reservoir. Ports |01, |08 in the walls of the submerged cylinder permit the oil to flow into the pump cylinder and the tube 95 and keep them filled. The inner end of the piston is formed with a lug which carries a cam roller ||2 (Fig. 2) which operates against the lifter cam 56 hereinbefore described. The roller is held against the cam by a compression spring ||3 which is disposed between the piston and the valve plate at the recess |02.

Thus when the lifter cam 56 begins to rotate through a can cycle by actuation of the clutch device hereinbefore described, the cam pushes the pump piston |05 outwardly through a forwardstroke. As soon as the piston begins to move, it closes the ports |01, |08 in the cylinder walls and thereby traps within the cylinder the oil which flowed into it through the ports. As the piston continues to move forward this trapped oil is forced through the outlet |0| in the valve plate 91 yand thence into and through the tube 95 to the lifter cylinder 83. The force of the oil acting :against the plunger head 86 in the lifter cylinder raises the plunger 9| and the lifter pad 2| with its can A and thus lifts the can into the sealing head 22 for the can closing operation hereinbefore described.

During the can sealing operation the can is held clamped against thesealing head y22 by a steady pressure which is maintained on the lifter mechanism. In this manner as the sealing head rollers 23 interfold the iiang'e parts of the can and its cover to form the double seam joint which unites the cover with the can, the can is continually lifted toward the head and takes up any decrease in height of the can resulting from the bending over of the can flange. Thus a true spinning action-,on the double seam is brought about and this results in a tighter and more hermetic seam than may otherwise be obtained in machines of this character.

This pressure is brought about by the engagement of the can with the seaming head 22 and by the pump piston |05 continuing its forward movement against the oil in the pump cylinder it and forcing this oil through a by-pass valve l in the valve plate 91. This by-pass valve includes an outlet port IIS formed in the valve plate and in communication with the pump recess |02.

The by-pass outlet port ||6 leads into a stationary hollow valve member having a concave seat |I8 which normally receives a conical valve head ||9 formed on a vertical valve stem i2|. The valve member and the valve head and its stem are disposed ina bore |22 in the valve plate.

The upper end of the valve stem |2| slides in a bearing formed in an adjusting screw |25 threaded into the walls of the plate surrounding the bore E22. A compression spring |26 located around the Valve stem and interposed between the screw |25 and the valve head I9 holds the latter in its normal closed position against the valve seat H8.

When the rising can A on the lifter pad 2| engages against the sealing head 22, the oil in the pump cylinder |06 under pressure 0f the moving piston |05 forces the oil up against the 'oy-pass valve head l ii and thus partially opens the valve against the resistance of the spring |26, as best shown in Fig. 8. The oil flows up through the partially open valve and empties into the reservoir 38 by way of a pair of aligned holes |3|, |32 formed respectively in the valve plate 97 and in the adjacent wall of the reservoir. By turning the screw |25 the pressure on the spring |26 may be adjusted so that a greater or a lesser force exerted by the oil will be required to open the valve suiiciently to permit the ley-passing of the oil.

In this manner the maintained pressure on the lifter pad 2| and the can A may be regulated to any pressure required to effect a proper sealing or uniting of the can and its cover. This pressure is maintained for the greater part of the machine cycle.

During the latter portion of the can cycle, the lifter cam 56`pern1its thev pump spring H3 to move the piston |05 through a return stroke in the cylinder |00. This return movement of the piston relieves the pressure on the oil medium and thus reduces the pressure on the lifter pad 2| When the piston has returned to its normal position, the pressure on the lifter pad has been fully dissipated and the pad thereupon moves down under the pressure of the spring 81 to its original lowered position, taking the sealed can with it so that the can may be removed from the machine.

When the piston |05 is in this returned posi--v tion', the ports |01; |08 in the walls vof thecylinder |06 are exposed and this permitsthe oil medium from the reservoir 93 to enter the cylinder and replace the oil that was by-passed through the valve ||5 during the can closing operation. This completes the can closing cycle. It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and sc-ope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advan-` tages, the form hereinbefore described being' merely a preferred I claim:

l. In a container sealing machine in which containers of diierent heights to be sealed are moved into sealing engagement with a sealing mechanism by a lifter pad having a plunger disposed in a cylinder and actuated by a liquid prese sure medium introduced into said cylinder, the combination of a reservoir for holding said medium, pressure means disposed in communica.- tion with said reservoir and said cylinder for applying and maintaining pressure through a predetermined volume of the medium onto the plunger within said cylinder for lifting a container on said lifter pad into sealing engagementwith said sealing mechanism .and for holding the same in such engagement with a predetermined presembodiment thereof.

sure, said volume of medium being in excess of,

that required to linsure such engagement and pressure irrespective of the height of said container, and means operative by the pressure imparted to said medium by said pressure means for returning to said reservoir excess volume of liquid medium between said pressure means and said plunger, whereby to maintain a uniform' lift and holding pressure on the container during the sealing operation.

2. In a container sealing machine in which containers of different heights to be sealed are moved into sealing engagement with a sealing mechanism by a lifter pad having a plunger disposed in a cylinder and actuated by a liquid pressure medium introduced into said cylinder, the combination of a reservoir for holding said medium, means disposed in communication with said cylinder and said reservoir for confining a predetermined volume of the pressure medium introduced thereinto from said reservoir, said predetermined volume being in excess of the volume required to actuate said phuiger-under a predetermined pressure, means forapplying pressure through said confined pressure medium onto the plunger within said cylinder for lifting a container on said lifter pad into sealing engagement with said sealing mechanism to insure such sealing engagement irrespective of the height of said container and to maintain such .engagement under a constant pressure, and means operative by the pressure imparted to said medium by said pressure means for returning to said reservoir excess volume of conned liquid medium between said pressure means and said plunger, whereby to compensate for the excess volume of confined pressure medium and to maintain a uniform lift and engaging pressure on the container during the sealing operation.

3. In a container sealing machine in which containers of different heights to be' sealed are moved into sealing engagement with a sealing mechanism by a lifter pad having a plunger disposed in a cylinder and actuated by a liquid pressure medium introduced into said cylinder, the combination of a reservoir for containing the liquid pressure medium, means communicating with said reservoir and with said cylinder for segregating a predetermined volume of the liquid medium, means disposed in said communicating means for applying pressure onto the -segregated medium and therethrough onto the plunger in said cylinder for lifting a container on said lifter pad into sealing engagement with said seal ing mechanism, said liquid volume being in excess of that required to insure a predetermined constant pressure sealing engagement irrespective of the height of the container, and valve means disposed in communication with the segregated medium and actuated therethrough by said pressure means for Icy-passing and returning to the reservoir the excess volume of segregated pressure medium, whereby to maintain a uniform lift pressure on the container and to allow for a slight continued lifting action at a reduced rate of speed as the container height is reduced during the sealing operation without exceeding said predetermined pressure.

4. In a container sealing machine in which containers of different heights to be sealed are moved into sealing engagement with a sealing mechanism by a lifter pad having a plunger disposed in a cylinder and actuated by a liquid pressure medium introduced into said cylinder, the conibination of a reservoir for containing the liquid pressure medium, means communicating with said reservoir and with said cylinder for segregating a predetermined volume of the liquid medium, a pump disposed in said communicating means for applying pressure onto the segregated medium and therethrough onto the plunger in said cylinder with a predetermined pressure for lifting a container on said lifter pad into sealing engagement with said sealing mechanism and for holding the same under said predetermined pressure, said liquid volume being in excess ci that required to insure said sealing engagement and said holding pressure irrespective of the height of the container, and valve controlled means in communication with the segregated medium and actuated therethrough by said pump for by-passing and returning to the reservoir the excess volume of segregated pressure medium, whereby to maintain a uniform lift pressure on the container and to allow for a slight continued lifting action at a reduced rate of speed as the container height is reduced during the sealing operation, and means for regulating said valve means to vary the pressure imparted by said pump to said liquid medium.

5. In a container sealing machine in which containers of different heights to be sealed are moved into sealing engagement with a sealing mechanism by a lifter pad having a plunger disposed in a. lifter cylinder and actuated by a liquid pressure medium introduced into said cylinder, the combination of a reservoir for containing the liquid pressure medium, a pump cylinder Within said reservoir and disposed below the level of the pressure medium in the reservoir, said pump cylinder having a port connecting the interior of the pump cylinder with the interior of the reservoir so that the liquid pressure medium will flow from the reservoir into the pump cylinder for filling the latter, said pump cylinder further being in communication with said lifter cylinder, a reciprocable piston disposed in said pump cylinder for blocking 01T said port when the piston moves in one direction to segregate and confine the predetermined volume of pressure medium contained in said pump cylinder and to apply a predetermined amount of pressure onto the segregated medium and therethrough onto the plunger in the lifter cylinder` for lifting a container on said lifter pad into sealing engagement with said sealing mechanism and for maintaining said engagement under a constant pressure, said volume of the pressure medium being in excess of that required to insure said engagement irrespective of the height of the container, and valve means disposed in communication with the pump cylinder and actuated by the pressure of the pumped liquid for by-passing and returning to the reservoir the excess confined and segregated liquid medium, whereby to maintain a uniform lift pressure on the container and to allow for a slight continued lifting action at a reduced rate of speed as the container height is reduced during the sealing operation.

6. In a `machine for sealing containers of different heights by bringing parts to be sealed into a container sealing mechanism and holding the same under a predetermined pressure within said mechanism during the sealing operation, the combination of a support located beneath the sealing mechanism for receiving a container to be sealed, a pressure cylinder located beneath said support, a piston having movement within said cylinder and connected with said support, a reservoir communicably connected with said cylinder for holding a pressure liquid, a pump disposed in said reservoir for applying pressure to said liquid to actuate said piston therethrough to raise said support and position the container within the sealing mechanism under a predetermined pressure, and Valve controlled means communicably connected with said reservoir to main tain a predetermined pressure against said piston to hold the container in the sealing mechanism irrespective of the height of the container and irrespective of the degree of movement of said piston to bring the container into the sealing mechanism, said valve controlled means being actuated by the pressure imparted to said liquid by said pump to return excess liquid to said rcservoir, whereby to insure against crushing the container in said sealing mechanism.

SAMUEL S. JACOBS. 

